A Sorta Fairytale
by Measured
Summary: College AU. On the first party of the semester, Ike is kissed by an anti-social Science major. The rest, as you would say, is history. Ike/Soren.
1. Chapter 1

I wasn't going to crosspost this here from my journal, but Thumana bribed me, so blame her~

Title: A Sorta Fairytale (1 of 2 or 1/3)  
Series: FE9/10  
Character/Pairing: Ike/Soren, Ranulf/drunk girls and boys, Soren/science.  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: College AU. On the first party of the semester, Ike is kissed by an anti-social Science major. The rest, as you would say, is history. Ike/Soren.  
Author's note: something I started randomly over last Nano. Well, technically it's a mix of 09's nano snippets as well. I had scrapped the whole college verse I had going, but kept two scenes I liked a lot in this one.

It's also the one that started the whole TFLN fic revolution between Ammy and I~

Happy birthday, Artemis Elric!

Textsfromlastnight.  
he saw my "I like bacon" magnet on the fridge and I told him how much I love meat, then we started making out  
(607):  
what a beautiful fairy tale.

**.**

Ranulf was grinding on the floor with a girl in a black tube-top and a big guy in a Hawaiian shirt. Ike was just glad that he'd stopped with the wingman stuff and trying to get Ike laid. Ike hadn't expected the surprise party in his apartment 'for the hell of it' and pretty much the first thought in his mind was 'if anyone pukes, I'm making Ranulf clean it up.'

It was Saturday night, so the game wasn't on, so technically he wasn't missing anything. Ike passed a few gyrating drunk girls who tried to get him to grind with him, and made his way towards the fridge. He was pretty sure there was still some cheesy bacon breadpizza in there, if Ranulf hadn't gotten to the last, that was. If Ranulf had, there would issues between them, because he'd called dibs and Ranulf was always going on about the absoluteness of dibs and the Bro Code, and Ike was pretty sure that applied to cheesy bacon breadpizza as well.

He saw another refugee from the drunken masses stalk in. A guy in glasses, a black long-sleeved shirt under a black t-shirt of with a pirate on it, with _touched by his noodly appendage_ printed on it, ripped jeans and sneakers. He was a bit on the small side, looked like a stiff-wind could blow him over. His red eyes looked wary. They focused on the _I love bacon _magnet on their slightly dirty fridge. (Ranulf preferred to call it 'rustic' – Ike knew it was just rusty.)

Ike wondered how high the guy had to be to get eyes that red. Did he smoke the whole farm?

"Yeah, that's my magnet," Ike said. He took a bite out of his delicious breadpizza. Usually, he'd fight to the death over breadpizza, especially the bacon kind, but the guy sort of looked like he might die of starvation, and he didn't want anyone dying on his watch. Ike held a piece out, and the guy considered it. Ike thought the guy sort of looked like he might take a bite out of Ike's hand, or curl up in a corner and snarf it down while sort of looking like Gollum from Lord of the Rings, but he did neither.

"Go on, sit down," Ike said. He took another bite and the guy sighed.

"Haven't seen you around," Ike said conversationally.

"We have different majors," he said. "The kinds that don't cross paths often."

"Like?"

"I'm a science major, and you seem to be majoring in football," the guy said with a frown.

"Ranulf said he was going to major in beer pong and being awesome, so anything's possible," Ike said.

The guy finally took a bite from his, and it was little bird bites. Kinda cute, actually. Ike held it, and he had this thought that if Ranulf ever saw this, he'd never live this down. That didn't mean he cared if Ranulf did, though. The guy took a sip of his beer.

"This is good..." He said.

Ike nodded. They were up against the fridge, and some drunk guy—likely Ranulf–was going _WOOOO _in the other room.

For a moment, the guy looked almost wistful. His wary, hard expression softened to something tender. The guy leaned up and kissed him. It was surprising, really. Ike didn't have a good history of kisses. There was the kisses from shop girls who were a little too obsessed that were sloppy, messy and had a waxy aftertaste; kisses from drunken party girls which got body glitter over him and left him feeling irritated and pushing them away; kisses from girls who thought they were dating or almost in love, who he'd thought of nothing but friends. He'd never kissed a guy before, but the feeling was oddly pleasant. It left a tingly feeling, and unlike the girls, there was no disgusting lipstick or body glitter stuck to him and he wasn't gagging on the scent of some fruity body spray. With this guy, the thought of being kissed again didn't bother him. In fact, he wouldn't mind it at all...

"Uh, thanks," Ike said. His lips were still tingling. He wanted to touch them, testing out this new feeling. For a moment the guy got this deer in the headlights look. It only lasted a second before he was pushing himself up off the floor, and muttering a _I-I have to go._Before Ike could even protest that it was fine, really–more than fine–the guy was gone. Ike got up, and tried to find him through the crowd, but three drunk girls doing the hula wearing nothing but beads got in the way. He pushed his way through the crowd until he was in the hallway, but it was empty. He stood there a while, looking from side to side, and feeling this strange tightness in his chest he'd never felt before.

**.**

Ike was still a little hungover that Monday. He could never figure out what going through those college dean's heads anyways. Who the hell made classes in the _morning_ anyways? If the teacher didn't want him sleeping in her class, she shouldn't have made the class at _seven freaking AM_.

He stumbled out of bed and pulled on the clothes from last night. He was more than a little glad that no one had vomited on them during the night, because he hadn't exactly gotten to laundry duty recently. Or at all. Ranaulf was passed out on the floor with no pants. Ike dragged his sheet over to cover Ranulf's ass, because that was what bros did.

Then he grabbed his sunglasses and was out the door. Breakfast would have to wait until he napped through his morning classes. Ike figured he'd at least get credit for being there.

**.**

Ike wandered in from his last class, lugging some books. He was a little more awake after he hit the local coffee joint, but that didn't mean any of his last classes made any fucking sense. He dropped his bag near the door. Ranulf was in a rainbow speedo, jazzercizing. Ike didn't ask.

Ranulf did one last jazzhands before he turned off the boombox.

"Oh, hey! Did you hear the news? We are going to the beer pong Olympics," Ranulf said. "You should've been with us, man."

"I was busy," Ike said.

"Hooking up with someone?"

"Something like that," Ike said.

"_Dish_," Ranulf said. "Seriously, dish now. Don't go all 'no kissing and telling'–"

"I need to find someone," Ike said, cutting Ranulf off.

"Let me look through my little black book," Ranulf said. "You know, I never thought I'd see the day. But, we are _totally double dating_."

"No, not drunk girls. Not that kind of finding. There's this guy I saw last party. A guy, science major. Long hair that seems black at first, it's sort of greenish, though. Red eyes like he smoked the whole stash, kind of anti-social. Likes bacon. That's who I was with last night."

"Soren Nevassa?" Ranulf said. "And I'm pretty sure he hates bacon, as well as everything else."

Ike frowned. "How can you hate bacon? Is that even possible?"

"I know! I dated this vegan girl once, and she thought bacon was the epitome of evil. But that's another story."

"Yeah, tell me the horror story later. Where would I find him?" Ike asked.

"Now? Probably in the library, I swear he loves that library like you love meat," Ranulf said. He then grinned, and snapped his fingers. "I totally get it now. You _love meat_ get it? That's why you don't kiss girls–" He elbowed Ike in the ribs.

Ike just looked blankly at him.

"Geez, my humor is wasted on you," Ranulf said and stuck his tongue out. "But seriously, go catch him. I'll be rooting you on. And by 'rooting you on' I mean 'drinking beer."

Ike opened the door partway and gave Ranulf a nod before he left.

"Save some beer for me," Ike said.

Then the door closed behind him. Ranulf began to make his way to the minifridge. The door opened back up.

"Forget something?" Ranulf asked.

"I call dibs on the ribs," Ike said.

"Gotcha," Ranulf said.

Then Ike really was gone.

**.**

Soren was, in fact, in the library just as Ranulf predicted. Ike wondered if he should start asking Ranulf for lottery numbers, or or his knowledge only applied to cranky science majors.

He had on a green _Science: It Works, Bitches_ shirt on pulled over a darker green longer shirt. When he turned, Ike noted a pirate flag stitched onto his duffle bag, and a cloth _What Would Pirates Do? _bracelet over his left wrist. He'd never seen such small wrists, and he'd met Reyson and Leanne, whose wrists were personally guarded by Tibarn, the hawk king. Also the rest of them. He looked even more fragile than them, and somehow it only made him more...interesting? Or to say, it only brought out a latent protective instinct and made him want to personally start guarding Soren's wrist. Also, the rest of him.

Soren noticed his gaze, and made a derisive sound, sort of like a hiss.

"No, it's not a new fashion statement, I just get cold easily," Soren said. "It's a family trait. So I layer."

"Oh no, that wasn't it at all," Ike said. He cleared his throat.

"Then state your business," Soren said.

"So, about last night—" Ike began.

Soren turned from him, making his expression unreadable. "I was drunk," Soren said. "That was all."

"I checked, you had like two sips of beer."

Soren turned back to face him and glowered.

"Oh, right. Lightweight and stuff," Ike said.

"It seems no college student can avoid getting drunk and doing stupid things at one point or another," Soren said with a sigh.

"According to Ranulf, you're not a true college student until you do," Ike said. "But really, it's no big deal."

"Of course it isn't," Soren said. His expression turned stony. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go to class."

He pushed by him, and Ike had the feeling that wasn't the answer Soren had wanted, even though he'd only said it to comfort him, and assure him everything was ok between them...even if they'd only met once.

Suddenly, he was more confused than ever.

**.**

When Ike returned back to his dorm room, Ranulf threw him an ice cold beer.

"Considering you aren't covered in hickies and looking triumphant, I'm going to guess it didn't go well," Ranulf said.

"You could say that," Ike said. He popped open the can and took a long chug. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve only to remember that he wasn't actually wearing sleeves. With a shrug he wiped his arm on his pants.

"It's weird," Ike said.

"So, you did kinky stuff?" Ranulf said.

"If talking in a library is kinky, then yeah. We totally did kinky stuff," Ike said.

Ranulf laughed. "For _you_ that is kinky."

Ike took another sip of his beer. He couldn't exactly refute it. Not that he had really ever cared before. There was this pressing feeling, though, like he knew this person despite it all.

"I think he has to know me. It doesn't make sense, otherwise," Ike said. "But how? I guess I'll just have to find out by asking him..."

"Whoa, you're all Sherlock and shit," Ranulf said. He golf-clapped with one hand, which was quite a feat, considering.

"Is that your new name for Watson?" Ike asked.

"You be Holmes, I'll be Watson, and we'll solve the case of the missing beer," Ranulf said. He tipped back his can and took a long swig.

"I think Soren would probably be Holmes, and I'd be Watson. Also, you drank it," Ike said.

"Another case solved by hard work and shotgunning beer. And if you're Holmes, who would I be?" Ranulf said.

"The drunk guy in a rainbow beanie following us around and going 'woo!'" Ike said.

"Yet another case of literature being improved with beer and rainbow beanies. Now all we need are zombies and we're set to have a publishing deal," Ranulf said with a grin.

"C'mon, brofist," Ranulf said, lifting his fist. And Ike fistbumped him, because he knew that he'd Ranulf would keep his arm up all night just to get his fistbump.

**.**

Ike was staring at his book like it might impart some wisdom. He picked it up and shook it, but the book wasn't any clearer, and now the pages were all weird. Not for the first time, Ike was glad that he came in on a sports scholarship.

Ranulf waltzed in–literally, considering he just came in from his dancing class.

"I have some genuine information from a cute science major that Soren is captain of the debate team, and regularly makes people run from the room crying. Apparently he's really hardcore," Ranulf said. He sashayed over to the minifridge and pulled out a beer and popped the top. Ike couldn't help but wonder how many Ranulf had today, and how he wasn't passed out in the gutter already. Ike filed it away as just another one of life's mysteries.

"So, when's the next debate team meeting?" Ike said.

Ranulf smiled. "Tonight. You and I are going to watch this new crush of yours tear a new one for the celibacy club."

"Celibacy club, huh?" Ike asked.

He was going to look forward to this.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: A Sorta Fairytale (2/3 or maybe some higher number)  
Series: FE9/10  
Character/Pairing: Ike/Soren, Ranulf/drunk girls and boys and Kyza and Lyre and everyone else, Soren/science.  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: College AU. On the first party of the semester, Ike is kissed by an anti-social Science major. The rest, as you would say, is history. Ike/Soren.  
Author's note: something I started randomly over last Nano. Well, technically it's a mix of 09's nano snippets as well. I had scrapped the whole college verse I had going, but kept two scenes I liked a lot in this one.

Edward forty hands is a How I Met Your Mother reference, and it won't be the last you see of it.

Happy winter holidays, TheOnlyPrincess. One of em, anyways.

Currently unbetaed and written when extremely sleepy to boot, (though there's been some minor edits since the first posting) If you see a syntax error or such, feel free to point it out. As it is, like the rest of the larger WIPs, there's going to be a "final version" once I finish and do the last edits...as soon as my beta(s) and I get more time to devote to it.

Thanks goes out to appendorange tumblr, who inspired me with pretty, pretty art, and Thumana who because of bribing with her awesome reviews, got me to actually post it up here, and not you know, leave it on my journal like all the other FE stuff I've done lately.

**.**

It started out poorly for the group already. They were citing divine plans and promise rings and Soren was looking offended on the behalf of science, and maybe sex, but probably science. They all wore sweater vests and looked vaguely cloneish.

So far, Soren was winning, probably by a lot. It wasn't like basketball or football where there was, you know, actual scores with cheerleaders doing handstands and stuff with each score. Though cheerleaders were more Ranulf's thing than his.

Soren slammed his hands down on the debating table like he was a parody of the Japanese law system.

"Are you trying to make a mockery of this establishment, and of _science_? Because if you are, then you're succeeding."

He said it in this low, cold voice which made Ike get distracted from his other arguments and just focus on him. The fire and fury and steel of him. Soren was in fact, downright vicious when it came to debating. He had an air of condescension that implied that all those opposing him had about the I.Q. of an amoeba. Though with this group, it wasn't hard, mostly because Ranulf could've probably out debated them armed with nothing but 'your argument is invalid' cat macros. Even the girls were taller than him, and yet with his chin lifted defiantly, he made up in force for what he lacked in stature.

"Soren totally intimidates them," Ranulf said, leaning over to whisper. "The guys think he's going to be a pushover because he's so tiny, and the girls are blinded by jealousy as he's got prettier hair and slimmer hips than them, and they're thinking he'll steal their boyfriends."

Ike just stared at Ranulf.

"I'm just sayin'," Ranulf said. He was looking pretty pointedly at Ike. Okay, maybe he won that one, Ike had to admit.

He was striking when he was angry. Pretty, even. No, what was it? Handsome? Beautiful? These were odd thoughts for Ike. Beautiful or handsome weren't terms he exactly used, let alone on a regular basis. It was usually 'pretty nice' that escaped his lips, as in _that's a pretty nice car_ or _that was a pretty nice meal_. He'd never had a moment where he looked at someone and thought them breathtaking. At least, not until now.

He caught Soren's gaze as Soren was leaving the stage. His face was unreadable. He was struck by how familiar it all seemed. But no, that wasn't right. It was just a strange, unexplainable feeling. One that even trying to push away as something weird didn't completely erase.

**.**

The Uni library was pretty compact, all bookshelves and computers and a few tables for studying and stuff with really ugly green carpet. Ranulf and Kyza refused to even go in the place, just because of the ugly carpet. In their more drunk moments, they talked about sneaking into the library at night and redecorating like a pair of fabulous bosses.

He caught site of Soren the next day, though he still hadn't quite figured out what he was going to say to him. _Hey, I remember that time you kissed me and it's kind of made things weird, but not the bad sort of weird, well, maybe sort of the bad kind of weird––_ didn't exactly seem like a great icebreaker.

Ranulf had tried to do the wingman or wingbro thing, but Ike couldn't remember most of the bro code. Except the part about knowing your target's interests and sticking there in hopes of an accidental meeting, which sort of sounded like _stalking_ to Ike, but apparently it was a thing.

Which is why he was in the library. Trying to act chill and like he actually spent time in here. Doing library things. He tried to pick up a book and look like he belonged, but the words sort of blurred. Then when they didn't blur, he realized that he'd accidentally picked up _Your Period And You_ and now looked like a pervert, or someone who really failed sex ed. He cleared his throat and put the book back on the shelf and decided to just pick up a newspaper or something.

Except that's when he noticed he hadn't been alone at all.

"You've been standing there a while...What do you want?" Soren said.

He hadn't seen him come in. And from the looks of it, Soren had been there awhile, hidden in some corner with a book.

Ike sucked at being subtle. He always stumbled in, crashing and breaking things when it came to friendships. People who were personally offended by this just had to deal, because he was not up with pleasantries.

"I want to get to know you," he said.

Soren flicked his gaze to him. He looked wary, and dismissive all at once.

"To reiterate: _what do you want?_"

"Uh, what?" Ike said.

"Everyone wants something. There's no such thing as true charity. The closest this human race can get to giving is to assuage their own selfish desires and pat themselves on the back for being virtuous," Soren said.

Generally Ike was the king of putting his foot in his mouth, but for once he had an inkling that it might be bad to say that he only understood about half of that. Maybe even less. But Ike didn't beat around the bush or play social games like Ranulf. So he did what he did best, and just laid it all out.

"Okay then. I want to get to know you better because I want to," Ike said.

"Ah...Humiliation, then," Soren said.

"Not really into that sort of thing," Ike said.

Soren rolled his eyes. "You want to use and humiliate me, like every other jock out there. To take my notes and then publicly tell me how weak I am," Soren said. His gaze was intense now, burning with anger.

"Er, no," Ike said. "Not really, or at all."

Soren stared at him a long while. Then he just shook his head. "I have to get to class," he said. He picked up his books and brushed past Ike.

"Well, that went well," Ike said to no one in particular.

**.**

There was one thing Ike did know about Soren, that being the local lore of his notes. Soren took the most detailed notes anyone had ever seen. Soren's notes were prized like magic items through school, it was said that whoever possessed the fabled notes would pass the class for sure with the highest score possible.

The very fact that Soren refused under any circumstances to share only made the legends about those notes potency all the stronger. Some said that those who passed the quest to obtain Soren's notes might even find the meaning of life hidden in-between Advanced Calculus and Molecular Biology.

Ike wasn't taking Advanced Calculus or Molecular Biology. He'd in fact, heard that Soren had taken extra math classes for fun, a concept which eluded him. Soren was a pretty strange guy like that.

Ranulf thought him bizarre, with his usual aversion for parties and beer pong. Apparently Soren usually spent his weekends reading, which managed to baffle both Ike and Ranulf, who spent their weekends playing Edward forty hands.

So it was a week after the meeting in the library that he saw Soren again. It wasn't so much that he was trying to see Soren, though if he came across him, he'd try and say hi or something. Mostly, he was trying not to fail the quarter, and staying in his dorm would inevitably end up with Ranulf and him playing video games, or Ranulf and him consuming lots of beer and then playing video games.

So, he was trying the studying thing. Sometime–he couldn't really tell how long he'd been there, trying the studying thing–he heard papers slap down on the table in the library.

Soren wasn't looking at him as he put the papers down.

"Uh," Ike said, bringing one of the papers into view.

"I saw your GPA today," Soren said. "I feel personally offended on behalf of your teachers."

"I only got one F," Ike protested. "Well, and a couple D-'s."

Soren's lip curled in disgust. "These are photocopied. Don't think that it's anything but distaste at your GPA."

"Thanks, I guess?" Ike said.

Soren nodded and left before it all quite sunk in.

**.**

"I cannot believe he gave you his notes," Ranulf said, shaking his head.

There was cheetos and beer, which according to Ranulf was the official food of bros.

"Yeah, it's still, sinking in," Ike said.

"We could be millionaires selling it on the black market," Ranulf said.

"No can do," Ike said, reaching into the bag.

Ranulf sighed dramatically. "I knew you'd say that."

"But still," Ike said between bites. "He gives me his notes and then he keeps avoiding me. I don't get it."

"What I don't get, bro, is why you are focusing on one bitchy science major when there are tons of girls just begging you to sleep with them. I mean, if gender is an issue, we could hit the gay bars. You know I'm cool with gay dudes. I made out with one last Thursday," Ranulf said.

"I just can't help but think I'm missing something here," Ike said, like Ranulf hadn't even gone on a tangent. This happened a lot, largely because what Ranulf said made no sense half the time, and that wasn't even counting the times he was drunk.

Ranulf rolled his eyes. "Since you can't get over this guy, I'll make it all better. Just come to the party–I'll make sure he's there."

Ike looked a bit surprised. "You're so powerful that you can even get Soren to a party again?"

"Like you have to ask? I have connections, bro," Ranulf said. "You'll owe me one."

Not for the first time, Ike was glad that Ranulf was on his side.

**.**

"Mia, my man!" Ranulf and her did some sort of complicated handshake to fistpump. Soren stood behind her, looking as if he hated everyone and everything. Ike smiled at him, but Soren just looked away.

"I see you brought the famous Soren Nevassa with you," Ranulf said. He was grinning like the cat who ate the canary.

"Yeah, he was locked up and brooding over his textbooks as usual. I had to practically pry them out of his hands and threaten to use them as sword practice to get him out of there," Mia said. She threw her arm over his shoulder and Soren looked like he hated life a little more.

"I was wondering how you did it," Ranulf said. "But violence, that's a classic method."

"That's my mantra!" Mia said. "There's nothing that can't be solved with violence."

"Truly, that is a mantra to live by," Ranulf said. "Though, don't forget the beer."

"Drunken violence! Even better!" Mia said.

After getting settled, Ike pulled out a proper keg and got them arranged in a circle. As usual, Ranulf had enough alcohol to make even Skrimir, kegger champ and kegstand king of the university, fall over. Kyza, Heather, Lyre and a few others Ike didn't quite know were there. Presumably Makalov had come for the free beer, but he'd apparently already gotten into someone else's cooler and was passed out on the couch.

"Heather, I'll let you start with the honors," Ranulf said with an elaborate bow.

She considered the red cup put before her. "Never have I ever kissed a guy," she said. "Thank God."

One by one, the group downed their drinks. Soren glared at them. Ike downed his without trouble.

"Are you sure that you shouldn't be taking a drink?" Ranulf said, with a wide grin. "I got prime info that says you locked lips with a _certain quarterback_ on the eve of the last party."

Soren made an irritated sound in the back of his throat.

"Seriously?" Mia said. "You didn't tell me!"

"For a reason," Soren muttered. He glowered down at his drink and downed it, entirely too fast. He began to cough, and Ike patted him on the back.

"Easy, there," Ike said.

Soren made another strangled noise and broke out coughing again.. He muttered something, and looked up sharply to Ranulf's stupid grin.

Ranulf cupped his hand at his ear. "What'd you say? I didn't quite hear you."

"He said he hates you and wishes you'd die," Ike said.

Soren looked to Ike, looking more than a little surprised. The group was quiet, but Ranulf was quite nonplussed.

"Didn't realize you guys had such a hivemind going. Will you finish each other's sentences next?"

Ike shrugged. "I was just guessing, but I got it right."

He smiled at Soren, and Soren looked a mite bit less homicidal, so it was something.

But then, Ranulf had to do the moment cockblock with a grin. "Never have I had a thing for Ike."

Heather downed it, and she was about it. Ranulf looked around, and muttered a _seriously?_ Kyza shrugged.

"He has really nice shoulders, okay," Kyza said.

"And abs," Lyre cut in.

"Hey, you guys are my fan club," Ranulf said.

"Well, we expanded a bit," Lyre and Kyza said, looking to each other and for once, agreeing on something.

"This is ridiculous," Soren said. His face was flushed with a mix of embarrassment and hurt and rage. He pushed himself up and out of the circle and made his way to the door.

"Hey, wait—"

But Soren had already made his way for the door. Ike followed after him, leaving the party behind. He covered the distance in just a few strides and caught up.

"Soren, wait a second," Ike said. But Soren just kept walking. Ike reached out and just touched him, held onto his shoulder, and they stood there in the hallway, catching their breath.

"I didn't know he was going to do it," Ike said. "He just...does stuff."

Soren didn't look at him, but he didn't shrug off Ike's hand, or tell him off either. If anything beyond the shame and humiliation, he seemed sort of...sad.

"I just wanted to spend more time with you, I didn't know that he'd turn it into some sort of truth game."

"Why?" Soren said. His voice sounded very quiet and small, even hoarse. "Why would you want to know me?"

Ike shrugged. "I just do."

Soren let out a long shaky breath. "If I'd not been so foolish and drunk that night...would you have even noticed I exist?"

"I..."

But Ike couldn't answer that one. Would he have? Grabbing someone and randomly making out with them under a bacon magnet was a pretty memorable meeting.

"I don't know. I'd like to think so," Ike said finally.

"We don't run in the same crowds, or take the same classes, we don't even like the same things," Soren said.

And he remembered once standing out in a hallway, looking for someone who had already gone. He didn't want to it to happen again.

"Yeah, but that doesn't really matter...I just want to see you again," Ike said. "So...can I? Probably without Ranulf this time."

Soren finally turned around to look at him. Not for the first time, Ike just had to boggle at how tiny he was. His hair had started to come out of his ponytail, and he was looking suspicious and yet...hopeful.

"Maybe," Soren said.

"All right," Ike said.

He leaned against the wall and watched as Soren walked on down the hall towards his own dorm. He could live with maybe. After all, he always hoped and believed in the best.


End file.
